


a sparkling shard of goddess blue

by nsykdk



Category: Elsword (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Time Travel, ain exploring his future self, as he job changes into LE - ATh - RI, with BL as a catalyst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-16 01:46:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14802015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nsykdk/pseuds/nsykdk
Summary: An exploration of Ain's first job path.[Written for the EFB's Time Travel prompt]





	a sparkling shard of goddess blue

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost, I don't play the game so if there are any blatant errors, please feel free to scream at me (or something like that) if you see any! For this prompt (Time Travel), I decided to explore job changing and the changes it brought in terms of Ain's personality and rationality as he followed the path of (self-believed) righteousness.
> 
> As for the characters, if they're not named below (read: don't really play a part) then just assume it's their first / second job path that isn't their canon one.  
> Elsword - Rune Slayer - Rune Master  
> Aisha - Oz Sorcerer  
> Rena - Anemos  
> Lu/Ciel - Dreadlord / Chiliarch
> 
> As a final note, since others were confused, 'Ain' in text will always refer to base Ain and the job names of LE / ATh / RI will refer to their respective counterparts. However, the group will refer to whichever Ain is in their present as 'Ain' in speech. (This will become a little more obvious as you read on.)

Ain slowly counts the tiny shards of El he's collected. Seventeen rest in the palm of his hand, but he still lacks three.  
  
Twenty to make him stronger, they'd said, but finding seventeen had already been hard enough. He knew how to find the demons which held them, yet it had taken him a good chunk of the day to track each shard and retrieve each without problems. Several times had the demons sucked the life from them, rendering them useless crystals that served no purpose but sparkle in the light. If he was stronger, perhaps he could do his job better, but...  
  
The sun which had shone overhead now begins to sink, lazy afternoon light drifting in through the gaps of leaves rustling in the wind. The forest floor is speckled with rays of light; the occasional little creature darts between wildflowers. A warm breeze rustles the grass sprouting from beside the trees.  
  
He still has time to find three more, perhaps; else he save the job for the next day, for he is certain that Elsword would worry about his disappearance. Someone would be already minding the fire for a night out, or counting heads for an evening at a tavern. Suddenly, the idea of being back in time for the evening meal sounds enticing - though he has no need of rest or nutrition, mealtimes are often a place of discussion or idle chatter.  
  
With his mind set, Ain hums as he begins to head back to the village, pocketing the shards.  
  
He's not much closer to where he'd started when something in the forest catches his eye. A small structure, made of mossy stones stacked to create a small shrine.  
  
Ain weaves through the trees to stand in front of it, and, after detecting no enemies present, kneels to attempt to give a prayer. It has no name etched into the rock, and perhaps it is simply a tribute to a good harvest, but he closes his eyes to pray nonetheless.  
  
The moment he closes his eyes, another world unfurls in front of him. A blindingly white world, with a sky that reaches towards the horizons; a plane that ripples as he sets foot on it.  
  
Startled, Ain tries to reopen his eyes, but all he manages to do is blink within the grasp of the world behind his eyelids. He wills himself to stand, but all sense of the body knelt at the shrine in the forest has completely disappeared.  
  
As he brings his hands to his eyes, he realises with a start that they shine in the bright blue of his celestial form. The-  
  
" _Welcome_ ," a gentle voice says, and Ain whips around to locate the voice.  
  
It is a sparkling ball of light. A form that isn't unfamiliar to him, for he had once been such an existence. Tinged green, it floats in front of Ain with a sort of enthusiasm.  
  
" _Ah, this form is a little..._ " The ball of light chuckles, wobbling slightly. " _I assume you're more familiar with something like this._ "  
  
Slowly, the ball morphs into a shape resembling a human's height. Bright green petals of El form behind it, sparkling in the omnipresent light.  
  
The figure has the same grey hair as Ain; his clothes, too, the same shade of nature green. A fur-trimmed jacket that hangs from his elbows materialises next, over a similarly green shirt and black pants. The jacket's hem flows behind him even in the lack of wind as he floats to the surface of the plane, setting foot on it with a silent ripple.  
  
The petals of El that surround him burst into magnificent wings as his eyes open, forming a green-tinged celestial aura; jagged petals that frame his body in glowing green and shining gold. Curling above him and along the curves of his jacket, the petals frame him in a halo that radiates a...something that Ain cannot put into words. In his hand, a triad of glowing three-pointed orbs glows in yellow.  
  
But what strikes Ain most are his eyes. The area above his left eye, though mostly covered with hair, has an all-too-familiar smudge.  
  
"Who-" Ain lifts his hand to his left eye, touches the mark there. "Who are you?"  
  
The figure smiles, as brightly as the celestial light allows; bends in a mock bow. "You may call me...Bluhen."  
  
"...Bluhen." Ain tests the name on his tongue, unsure how it is familiar to him. "You have the mark of Henir above your left eye."  
  
Bluhen's lips dart into a smile. "You're observant. As expected of a future Richter."  
  
Richter - _judge_. It is familiar to him in the same way that _Bluhen_ is, but he cannot put his mind to exactly what, exactly where.  
  
"Your question - who I am. You have already identified the mark of Henir. Can you not guess who I am?"  
  
There is, really, only one answer. "You're me. But you're not me."  
  
"Correct!" Bluhen bursts into pleased applause, the orbs that had been in his hand now floating idly around him. "I am 'Ain', but I have long since ceased to be the being 'Ain'. When I was you, I chose a different path. Your future will be one filled with the righteousness of the goddess and obedience to your mission."  
  
It is, certainly, the future that he had intended, the only future he had known of. The El shards in his pocket were undeniable proof of it - to restore the El, and to complete his mission, all he had thought of was to grow stronger.  
  
"The reason why I summoned you here is because there is still time. You are yet to complete that necessary strengthening into the next stage of your abilities. You can still choose another path."  
  
"But-" Ain shakes his head. "But that means straying from the mission."  
  
In recognition, Bluhen smiles. "Would you like to see into your future?"  
  
An orb slowly floats away from Bluhen's figure to place itself in front of Ain. "If you would, please place your hands on my Eid. If not, I'll transport you back to where you were, in front of the shrine."  
  
The future - would it be one where the El is pure and whole again? One where...?  
  
Without knowing it, Ain reaches out for the orb, holding its warm light in his hand. It floats, pulsing, in his hands, bathing his celestial blue in soothing yellow.  
  
"I see you've made your choice. Now..." Bluhen is already beginning to fade, his celestial light dimming as the world begins to melt away. " _Enjoy your future_."  
  


* * *

  
The sensation of being pulled into the orb is like standing in the midst of a violent storm. Chilled wind whips his hair and clothes into disarray, and when he closes his eyes to the brightness that the orb emits, a strange chill envelopes his body.  
  
When the winds finally die down and Ain opens his eyes, it is in a dim bathroom.  
  
Looking in the mirror is himself - his future self - though his hair has grown slightly more blue, possibly a symbol of the use of the goddess's power. There is a projected dagger in his hand, glistening a bright blue.  
  
Slowly, he lifts the blade to his hair.  
  
In one swift motion, the long braid falls to the floor, strands of bright blue on dull grey. Messily chopped hair hangs to frame his determined eyes in blue.  
  
Something whispers to him, then, as he watches his future self hack at his hair.  
  
_Executor_ ; that must be his name.  
  
The dagger disintegrates suddenly as a knock on the door sounds, dim light spilling into the room.  
  
"Ain?" It's Elsword, but slightly older - his hair is a little longer, his face a little more mature. "Ain, your hair-"  
  
He steps through the scattered strands to touch the messy ends of Executor's hair, a longing look on his face. "Why did you cut it?"  
  
Executor doesn't push his hand away, but the discomfort in his eyes is barely hidden. "It gets in the way when I'm fighting."  
  
Elsword nods, then. "I see. But you could have gone to see a hairdresser's in town, they could cut it nicely for you."  
  
"I've done it already," Executor says, finally, lifting a hand to the roughly hacked strands. "Maybe next time, Elsword."  
  
And that is all Ain sees, as the clouds cover his vision and drag him back into the depths of the orb.  
  


* * *

  
The first thing Ain notices when he sees his second future self is how blue his hair has become. Unlike Executor, his hair is styled perfectly; slicked back in its goddess-blue entirety. In his flowing white coat, he looks as if he has stepped straight from a magazine catalog into existence.  
  
But the look in his eyes is different to Executor's.  
  
They were determined, before; now, they are empty. Soulless.  
  
This is _Arme_ _Thaumaturgy_ , the one who left behind all for the sake of the mission.  
  
Even when Elsword appears to ask about the night's dinner, he refuses with a blank stare as a projected dagger spins in his fingers. He doesn't see the worried frown which flashes onto Elsword's face as he turns to leave the training room.  
  
Ain does not know for how long he stands and watches as Arme trains, practicing the fluid thrusts of his spear and the slash of his sword; frowning at every imperfect notch in the training dummies.  
  
When Arme finally does rest, perhaps having run out of mana; the shriek of a siren interrupts his recuperation. The intruder alarm, Ain realises, as Arme starts for the door immediately.  
  
It is the midst of the night, but lights flicker on in houses as mothers comfort crying children, huddling in fear under beds and tables. Ain spies half of a sleepy El Search Party streaming out of their rooms, weapons at the ready.  
  
Aisha is summoning a bucket of ice-cold water above her face when Arme reaches the group, quickly evaporating the remains as the rest of the group assemble. The last to arrive is a sleepy Chung, who looks as if he'd just finished the first night shift an hour ago.  
  
"If everyone is here, let's head out!" Elsword leads the way with a flaming rune in his hand, lighting up the dim forest towards the heart of the invasion.  
  
The demons are stragglers from the last invasion, so even a tired El Search Party makes mincemeat of them with time to spare. Barely any injuries are taken, the worst only a scrape on a badly placed branch.  
  
"Let's go, let's go!" Raven ushers Ciel back towards the village, the rest streaming past in one ragged formation. Arme stays back, glowing spear at the ready.  
  
"The rest is up to you, Ain." Elsword, last to leave, begins to hurry back into the safety of the village. Destroying the gate was Elsword's role, but fire would not work in the dark forest; the risk of burning spreading to the village too high.  
  
Particles of El begin to be drawn into Arme's body, into the spear by his side. His celestial aura unfurls; white seraph wings fluttering in the breeze.  
  
"Wait!" A voice pierces through the darkness, and Arme's eyes narrow in annoyance.  
  
"Do not interfe-"  
  
"Lu's still in there!" It is Ciel, worry clouding his eyes as he rushes up to the glowing figure. "Ain, you have to stop-"  
  
"Do not touch me!" Arme summons a dagger at Ciel's neck, who blanches. "I must eradicate this source immediately."  
  
"Lu won't survive," Ciel hisses, wrenching the blade from the air as he glares at Arme. "I'm going in."  
  
A flicker of movement catches Ain's eye, in the depths of the forest. A faint cry of despair echoes within the darkness. Ciel sees it too, the determination in his eyes hardening.  
  
"Foolish demon! Do not enter!" Arme tries to block the path with his free arm, but Ciel pushes past Arme, and Ain finds himself following; darting between the glowing particles of El which intensify by the minute.  
  
"Ciel...?" A small figure appears in the shadow of a tree as they round a bend in the path.  
  
It seems as if the anger and desperation slowly leeches from his body as Ciel rushes to Lu, taking in her teary face and trembling figure. In one motion, he's swept Lu into his arms, already turning to the path when a bright light begins to shine in between the shadows of the trees.  
  
"Ciel, my ankle hurts," Lu whimpers, all hints of her childish personality repressed in pain. "What's happening?"  
  
"Please be patient, Lu," Ciel replies, rounding the corner in the path. "We have to get out of here first."  
  
But it is too late, for it is that second that Arme releases the spear.  
  
Ciel acts immediately, dropping to the forest floor in the shadow of a nearby tree; curling protectively over her shaking body. It pains Ain to see the pure terror on even Ciel's face as he attempts to soothe his master, to no avail. Lu's cries grow louder as the spear erupts into blindingly white light, and then everything spirals into a deafening silence.  
  


* * *

  
He is standing in a forest when the orb transports him a third time. It is the same forest, he realises; but this time, he can see the sky, dark with demonic energy, tendrils of it floating like mist around him. Sounds of fighting echo through the trees, and he weaves through the dark forest to reach the battle.  
  
The rest of the El Search Party is there, this time, and, to Ain's relief, so are Lu and Ciel. It doesn't take long to spot 'himself' - floating above the corpses of slain demons, in all his celestial glory. With his pristine white outfit and sparkling aura, he commands almost half the battlefield. His spear is clasped in his right hand, his left commanding the projected swords that fly with deadly accuracy towards each demon. As they pierce and disintegrate, more appear in the air behind him.  
  
Truly, he is a god of ultimate power. This must be _Richter_ , the final form of his journey to complete the mission - the third ascension to heaven.  
  
A scream pierces the air, but he does not falter. Ain turns towards the sound - it is Aisha, collapsed on the forest floor, clutching her leg in pain; blood seeps from between her fingers to run down her leg as a demon towers over her. Her staff lies in the grasses beside her, knocked down just out of reach.  
  
"Ain!" Elsword's voice, piercing the clamour of battle. "Aisha's-!"  
  
Without even looking, Richter sends several swords flying in Aisha's direction. She covers her eyes with one arm, tears running down her face. Ain starts towards her, before realising he cannot interfere - but he has aimed the swords _directly at her_. Terrified, she screams again, unable to move in pain and terror.  
  
With a terrifying thud, the swords embed themselves cleanly in the body of the demon, barely a hand's width from Aisha's body. Aisha lifts her arm from her eyes to see the demon fall beside her, terror clearly written on her face.  
  
Richter continues to fight without acknowledging her.  
  
"Aisha!" Rena appears beside the fallen girl, handing her the forgotten staff as she is picked up. "We'll get you to a healer right now."  
  
In a flash, Rena is already rushing through the forest back towards the town, the sigils on her legs glowing as she calls on the wind spirits for speed. Elsword moves in to fill her spot on the front line, blasting his enemies with searing fire.  
  
Ain feels the mist overtaking him again, and braces for another ride - but it is short, and when he opens his eyes, it is in a training field.  
  
Richter stands in what looks like an archery range - the sort of place someone like Rena would train - decked out with moving targets of all shapes and sizes. He raises a hand, and hundreds of projected swords flicker into existence beside him. They span almost the entire width of the training field, glimmering at the ready.  
  
With a flick of the finger, the entire field of swords fly towards the targets.  
  
And what Ain sees dazzles him. Every single sword, even those aimed at the moving targets, hits directly in the centre of each target. It only lasts for a few seconds, for the projections return to non-existence only a moment later, but Ain sees it all.  
  
Suddenly, six larger swords appear in the air behind Richter, swivelling to aim at the entrance of the training field.  
  
"Whoa, it's just me," Elsword says, and the swords disintegrate. "You're training now of all times? Aisha's recovering from shock. I think she deserves an apology, don't you?"  
  
Richter shrugs. "It is not my business."  
  
Elsword steps forward, anger flaring in his eyes. "Ain. Aisha's my best friend. You almost _killed_ her!"  
  
Without a care, Richter idly summons a projected dagger, plays with it. "I aimed for the demon which was about to kill her."  
  
"You bastard!" Richter stumbles back in shock as Elsword lunges to grasp the front of his coat in one hand. "You almost killed Lu in the last attack because she twisted her ankle. And when we were just set up to attack that other time, _you_ broke formation and we would have lost Eve if Chung hadn't been there to protect her. I've had enough of this!"  
  
Ain's breath catches in his throat as he watches Richter's swords appear to surround Elsword.  
  
"If you stand in my way to restore the El, I will kill you."  
  
No- this could not be the path he had chosen. Not a path where he would kill his friend to achieve his mission. No, he was sure of this.  
  
A single tear slides down Ain's cheek as Elsword freezes.  
  
"Ain, you-"  
  
And, just as suddenly as before, he is whipped away by the mists again.  
  


* * *

  
When Ain comes to, it's with the sensation that he has only shut his eyes for the tiniest fraction of a second. He is back in the strange plane, with the sky that reaches forever and the glimmering ball of light before him.  
  
Bluhen appears before him without a sound as the orb in Ain's hands return to the triad that float around him.  
  
"What did you think of your future?" He sounds kind, but there is something behind the tone of his voice that Ain cannot pinpoint. "Having second thoughts?"  
  
The reality of everything he had just experienced suddenly feels like a weight on his shoulders. Arme's treatment of Lu and Ciel - though they were demons, the natural opposite of his celestial origins; Richter's ruthless determination to stop all who stood in his way.  
  
"Is...that truly myself?"  
  
Bluhen smiles. "It's your choice if you wish to become that person. But for now, it's time for you to head back. A dear friend of yours is waiting for you."  
  
"Wait." Ain steps forward, but Bluhen is already returning to the green ball of light. "Wait, Bluhen-"  
  
The sparkling ball of light begins to fade, but Bluhen's voice echoes hollowly in his mind. " _Ainchase Ishmael. Agent of the Goddess. What do you truly feel?_ "  
  


* * *

  
"-n? Ain!"  
  
A hand roughly shakes him, and he cracks an eye open.  
  
Elsword's worried face stares back at him, framed by the similarly worried faces of Aisha and Rena. He is back in the present, beside the shrine where he had left.  
  
"You wouldn't wake up, and you kept on yelling something," Elsword says as Ain sits up from where he had been lying on the forest floor. The moon shines brightly into the small clearing. "Plus, you didn't come back after it got dark, so we got worried."  
  
"I'm fine," Ain says, finally, "really. I...must have simply fallen asleep."  
  
Elsword seems to doubt the answer, but accepts it nonetheless; holding out a hand to help him up. "Come on. Let's go back to camp."  
  
With a smile, Ain takes his hand.  
  
(Seventeen glittering El shards rest in the altar of the shrine.)

**Author's Note:**

> No, Richter doesn't kill Elsword, if that gives you peace of mind.  
> Also, since it appears to be a little confusing, the end is suppose to infuse hope (that he won't choose to become Richter) but who knows if he'll turn all Herrscher on us?
> 
> You can scream at me on Twitter [here](https://twitter.com/nijiiro_kisetsu) or read more of my stuff [here](https://rebellionstars.carrd.co) !  
> The Elsword Fanfiction Brigade (EFB) is a Discord server dedicated to writing and reading, regardless of relevance to Elsword! Please join if you're interested to read and write more!


End file.
